Pneumatic sizer



ug A. H. sTEBBlNs PNEUMATIC S IZER Filed April 8, 1922 2 Shejets-Sheet l l LA@ w A. H. STEBE'INS PNEUMATIC SIZEK'.

Filed April 8,- 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet H l'/ 34 Se A #Orla @y Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

ALBERT rr. s'rnlBBINs, or Losanenris, oninsomnia. j

E:eur-iuMarlo sizes.. l*

Application aieaaprii 8, 1922. serial Na 550,872. n

To MU wim/m, t may concrrn Be it known that I, ALBERT Ha Srinigvs. a citizen of the United States, residing Iat' Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California., have inventedan improvement in Pneumatic Sixers, of Which the following description, in 4connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representingi` like parts. A n

The present. invention relates to pneumatic sizers or separators for separa-ting ,maf terials vin accordance with their size and specilic lgravity. f

Heretofore the sizing` of ymaterials lhas been commonly ac^omplished by the 'use of screens or screen clothing` upon which the materials are delivered so that the iincr materials pass tlnfough the apertures of the screening surface out. ol contact with the coarse materials.`

In variousv fields of industry,vr and more particularly in the treatment of ores. it may be desirable to separate the. materials in accordance with their sizes, and also' to pro` duce a partial classification, of the materials iu accordance with their differences in specific gravity to facilitate separation kof the values from `the foreign' materials. This cannot be done by the ordinary screen, because screens separate in accordance with size alone. y

The present invention therefore contem-y plates a pneumatic sizer or separatorconstructed to effect the passage of air through the -materials to he treated as these materials travel alone a supporting si'irface. In sizcrs of this type it is importantthat the n air currents passed through the supporting surface and the materials traveling over the surface be of substantially luniform strength throughout any one portion of the' support'- ing surface." In other wor( s, it is important to prevent excessively strong currents from passiney throueh some apertures of the supporting surface while'currenits that are too weak pass through adjacent apertures. since such a variation in the currents' `would not properly separate the materials.

Une important feature of'the'present invention thereit'ore-` consists in 'means disposed in spared relation' to the aperturesof the supporting' surface and adapted 'to equalize the strength of the currents passing through the apertures and the passing over the surface.

materials Inv the sizing or separation ,of materials f by passing air therethrough, it may be cle-- sirable to separate the "lighter` materials into a plurality of different' grades. i, i

Anotherimportant featureof the invention-therefore consists a'supportinfr surface of. substantial length over` which" the material'sjare passed, and of a plurality of collecting chambers arranged adjacent the surface, `so that different cliambers yreceive the lighter materials removed during difterent stages in the passage o'fthematerials over the supportingf'surfa'ce. `The present invention also kcontemplates means for relatively varying the strength of air currents entering' the different collectingchambers. i

andy it further contemplates theuse of baftie plates to promote the "collectingof materials within the collecting chambers.

Other features of the invention and novel cmnbiinuion of parts ivilljbe hereinafter ilescribed in 'addition to the aboveand incennection with'the 'accompanyinlgri drawings which show oneeood, practical form of the invention ivherein:

' F l iis 'a vertical setional view through apneumatic einer constructed in accorda ucc with the present, invention, the section .being taken onr liney l-"l of Fig. 2.' .i

Fig. 2is tcp plan vieu7 of the sizerl of Fig.' 1.- y

' Figi. 3 "isa sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1f i i igzf isan enlarged perspective vien yof the, sizer cut .byy a vertical section. y

' Fig. '5 is an end View, of Fig. 1 viewed from tliecleft, and:y f "Figa 6'y is a. perspective vieni of an apertured supporting' surfaceto be described. A

Pneumatic' sizers or, separators embcdvy in@ the features of 'the .present inventi'a may beilvariously constructed. andi'in they embodiment ofthe invention sl1o\vn..a casin;r is providedrhaving' a series 'of collectingT chambers l0, to one side of which is provided a separating chamberl1. andto the opposite side is 4provided a regulating chambery 12.v However, this is not an essential.v

arrangement ofthe chambers; and in some cases it may be desirable to omit therefru` latein@Y chamber 12,*While vin other' cases it may beI desirable to omit the Collecting charnbers l() or Aboth chamherslO and 112.

In the Apresent embodiment ofthe inven tion the material supporting surfacell is inclined so that rgratuity'will' assist in passing lUo ICS

lili

separating-chamber 11 or is securedthereto. lMaterials' to be separated are delivered to the upper end of theinclined surface 13 by a hopper 16 provided with an adjustable gate 17 to control the delivery of materials to the surface, and as the materials pass downwardly along the upper face Lof the apertured surface they are subjected to air currents-:passing up through the surface. In the present instance the air is drawn upwardly through the` perforated surface by reducing the air pressure in the upper part of the separating chamber, but .this is not anessential feature of the present invention in all of its aspects and in some cases it may be desirable to force aii upwardly f through the perforations.

It may be desirable to separate the lighter niaterialpicked up by the air in the separating chamber into several grades, and to this end a series of collecting chambers 10 are provided disposed along the separating chamber 11 and communicating therewith. The collecting chambers '10 preferably do not communicate and are'divided. one from the other by thercrtical walls 18, and these chambers are so arranged that materials picked up by the air currentsnear the upper end of the inclined surface 13 will be carried into the first collecting chamber 10 While materials picked up further along the inclined surface 13 will be carried into other chambers 10.

lin the construction shown theregulating chamber 12 is connected with an exhaust fan 1,3 by a conduit 20, and each of the collecting chambers 1t) is connectedat its upper end tothe chamber 12 by the short conduits 21 haif'ing gates 22 that may be adjusted to control the passage of airv from' 26 of the separating chamber to Within a short distance from the surface 13 and form conduits terminating a short distance from the apertures of the surface. The upper portion of the separating chamber 11 may have apertures 27 communicating with the upperfportion of the collecting chambers 10, and i as a result each of these conduits formed by the partitions 23 sucks air through a group of apertures in the support.-` ing surface. Furthermore the partitions 23 prevent air currents from traveling in any inclined direction Within the separating chamber.

In lthe construction shown the air passes from the separating chamber 11 into the collecting chambers through the apertures 27 in the side Wall 25, and it is desirable to prevent the air from passing directly across the collecting chamber 11 to the conduits 2 1. This is accomplishedrby providing baille plates 28 and 29 Within the chambers 10 to deflect the air currents as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 and 4 thereby to promote the collecting of materials within the collectii'ig chambers. The plate 29 is preferably provided with apertures 30 near its upper end to facilitate the passage of air. rlhe coarser materials that travel the entireflength of the apertured surface 13 without being carried from they separating chamber by the air currents, are discharged from the lower end of the surface 13 into discharged through the hoppers 32 at the lower end of these chambers. Some of the lighter materials will be carried over intoA the regulating chamber 12 and Will settlel therein. This chamber is therefore provided with a steeply inclined bottom Wall 33 along,

which the materials will slide into the disfwall f The present construction is Well adapted to separate line material into a number different nfrades, and it will be apparent that yby adjusting thev gates 22 to'subject the materials in the chamber 11 to air currents that increase in strength as thematerials progress along the surface 13, each of the chambers 10 will collect therein a different grade of material.

The inclined apertured surface 13 may be variously constructed, but its construction shouldjbe such that the materials, as far as practical, are preventedy from passing through the apertures of the surface. One desirable construction of a supporting surface is shown in Fig.` 6 and consists of sheet metal having apertures therein through Wliichtlie air enters, and lips 35 are pr vided extending outwardly adjacent the apertures to deflect materials therefrom; It is not essential, however, `ni all constructions that the apertures face away from the direction in rwhich the materials travel.y

From the foregoing description when rread in connection with the drawings it will be apparent that'a sizer constructed in -accord- 'ance with the present invention ywill removeA 'the dust and lighter materials 'from "the course materials, and that the different collccting chambers '10 will .classifyA 'the lighter materials into a number of different-grades.

It will also be apparent that:v the separation of materials will be in accordance with their differences in size and specific gravity. What is claimed is:

l. A pneumatic sizer comprising in coni` bination, an apertured. surface arranged to have materials passed thereover, a casing vhaving a separating chamber extending upwardly from the surface, means for delivercommunication' with the separating chami ber.

2. A pneumatic sizer comprising in combination, an apertured surface `arranged to have materials passedV tl'iereo-ver, a casing having a. separating chamber extending up'- wardly fronivthe surface and longitudinally thereof, means for delivering materials to be separated to the surface, means for eX- hausting the air in the `upper portion of the chamber throughout itsrlength to produce air currents entering` through the apertures of the surface, and .averagingpartitions arranged transversely within the chamber and extending' downwardly toward the surface to direct the air entering the apertures upwardly between correspondingly disposed Walls. i

3. A pneumatic sizei` comprising in coinbinatioii, an inclined apertured surface, a casing having a chamber above said surface, means for delivering materials to be separated tov the surface, averaging partitions arranged in close proximity to each other transversely of the chamber and forming a multiplicity of suction conduits each of which terminates a short distance from a group of apertures in the surface, and means for exhausting air from the upper parts of said conduits to draw air through said apertures and the` materials passing over the inclined surface.

4. A pneumatic sizer comprising in combination, an inclined apertured surface, a casing forming a separating chamber eX- tending lengthwise of the surface, a series of collecting chambers arranged lengthwise vof said surface and communicating vwith the separating chamber,-Y means for delivering materials to the inclined surface, a regulating chambery communicating" with 'the "collecting chamber, and means forexhaustiiig air from the regulating chamber thereby to produce air currents entering the apertures of said :surface and passing throughy the Isepara-ting Chamberland collecting 'cliainj bers, and means for discharging the collected 'materials froin'thecollectingf chambers.

5. A pneumatic sizer for 'grading materials, comprising in combination an apertured` surfacearranged to liave"materials passed `thereover, a casing forming a separating chamber over'said surface, a series of collecting chambers arranged along said surface and communicating with the upper part of the separating chamber, means for producing air currents passing upwardly through the 'apertures of the surface into the separating chamber and from the latter into (the collecting chambers, and averag ing ,partitions within the separating chamber andextending downwardly/toward said surface to prevent they air currents from traveling?'laterally within the` sepa-rating chamber. l f t (3. A sizer forsizing or separating inaterials ofy like vspecific gravity in accordance with the sizethereof-and for sizing or Agradingmaterials of unlike specific gravity in accordance with their relative specific gravities, comprising an 'inclined `apertured'surface to which v'materials are fed to pass along the upper face ofthe surface, meansr for producingair curi-en tspassiugupwardly through said 'apertures and through' the materials upon the apertured surface, and lips or projecting portions extending over said apertures and in a direction to prevent the` materials passing over the surface from ventering fthe Aapertures sov that the heavier particles notpicked up by the air will be subjectedto the action of rising air currents throughout their travel along the surface and will be prevented by the lips from lodging in the apelftllies.

7. A pneumatic sizer comprising, in combination, an inclined apertured surf-ice, a casing forming a chamber extending over the surface, means for feeding materials to the surface to travel along its upper face, means for producing air currents passing upwardly through the apertures of the surface and the materials thereupon, and a lip extending over yeach of said apertures in a direction to prevent materials passing over the surface from entering the apertures so that the heavier particles not picked up by the air will be subjected to the action of rising air Vcurrents throughout their travel along the surface and will be prevented by bination, an apertured snr-face,- a casing for said surfaceA having a chamber above the surface, means for delivering materials to be separated to the surface. averaging partitions above thesurt'ace extending transversely of said ch'ainberin an upright position and forming a multiplicity of suction conduits each. of whithterniiuates a short distance :trom-.a group ot' aperturesin the surface, and nleans forcxbausting air from the upper .parte Oi Said conduits to draw. air tlu'oughtl-ie apertured surface and the ma# terials thereupon. f l 1 .9. A pneumaticsizer comprising in combinatioman inclined` aperturedv surface, a

casino. for lsaid surface havin@ a chamber above the surface and having a multiplicity of collecting chambers arranged along the. inclined surface and communicating with the upper portion ot' ysaid chamber, means for delivering materials to be separated -to the inclined surface. exhaust means connected with the collecting chambers and operable to create air lcurrents passing through the apertures vot the incl-ined surface upwardly through the separating chambers into the collectingchambers, and spaced upright partitions extending transversely of the chamber above the apertured surface to preventtheair .from traveling lengthwise of said chamber. f

10.r A pneumatic sizer comprising in combination, a long narrow casing supported at a longitudinal inclination and constructed to form a. long'.narrow separating chamber and a multiplicityv ol. collecting chambers arranged along the separating chamber and communicating therewith, an aperturerl surface ksecured to and extending lengthwise a longitudinal inclination and construct-ed to form along narrow separating chamber and a multiplicity ot' collecting chambers arranged along the separating chamber and communieating therewith, an lapertured surface secured to and extendingvlengthwise 'of the 'separating chamber, means for delivering materials to bek treated to vsaid surface to travel lengthwise thereof, a receptacle forming a regulating chamber extending along and v communicating with the collecting chambers, means for exhausting air from the regulating chamber to draw airv from the separating chamber into the collecting chambers and from the latter into the regulating chamber, and means for regulating the flow of airfrom'the different collecting chambers to the regulating chamber 4thereby to vary tlie'strength ot' the air 'drawn through different portions ot the apertured surface into the separatingchamber.

In testimony whereof, I have signedY my name to this specification. 1 f

ALBERT s'riinnms.I 

